Together
by Spinley
Summary: When Phoenix reveals a well-hidden secret, Apollo has trouble coming to terms with his feelings and the truth. Major spoilers for AA:AJ.


Spoilers for cases 4-1 and 4-4, but if you haven't beat AA:AJ by now, you should be doing that instead of reading fanfiction.

Ace Attorney belongs to Capcom, and I'm probably going to hell for this.

* * *

**Together**

_One-Shot_

It was late when the two returned to the Wright Anything Agency. Trucy had already fallen asleep on Apollo's back as he was carrying her home, her cheek pressed on his shoulder blade, her hat on his head to keep it from falling. Approaching the door, he tapped it with his foot in lieu of knocking, as his hands were busy keeping the sleeping teen on his back. A moment passed, and the door opened.

"You're late," said Phoenix, stepping out of the way to allow Apollo to enter. He stepped in quietly and carefully, doing all he could to make sure Trucy didn't wake. "You said you'd be home by ten. It's nearly midnight now."

Phoenix directed him to set her down on the sofa, so he did as gently as he could. Standing, he removed her hat from his head and smiled apologetically. "Sorry. We took the long way home."

"Two hours long?"

He shrugged sheepishly. "We stopped for ice cream. Then we sat by the lake in People Park a while and just talked. Fed some ducks, you know."

Phoenix smiled a little. "You sound like an old couple."

Apollo had to laugh. "It was Trucy's idea. We had fun, and... I guess we lost track of time. Sorry, Mr. Wright."

The older man just smiled, undoing the brooch on his daughter's cape and draping it across the back of the sofa. The teen shifted in her sleep, curling up into a ball as Phoenix draped a throw blanket over her. Apollo placed her hat on the mantle and moved to sit on the couch at her feet, a small smile on his face. Phoenix rested in the armchair, stretching a little and rubbing his eyes.

"Did I wake you?" Apollo asked quietly, hand resting on the cover over Trucy's calf.

Phoenix nodded. "Yeah, but it's alright. I was waiting for you two to get home. I guess I fell asleep."

Apollo chuckled, a little awkwardly. A silence reigned over the two men, broken only by the sounds of Trucy's soft breathing. Apollo's hand moved instinctively, running up and down her calf ever so lightly. Phoenix saw the movement and stared at his hand as it moved. Back and forth... back and forth... back and forth...

The clock over the mantle chimed twelve times.

On the twelfth chime, Phoenix spoke. "We need to talk."

Apollo's hand stopped on Trucy's ankle, his brown eyes looking up to Phoenix with genuine curiosity. "About what?"

"You and Trucy."

Phoenix had never seen a man blush brighter than Apollo did when he said that. His face nearly matched his vest. "Wh-What is there to t-talk about?" he asked shakily. It was obvious to Phoenix that he had let this charade go on for too long. He'd been blind as feelings had developed between the young ones.

"Do you know anything about your parents?" he asked softly.

Taken aback, Apollo took a moment to think. "A little. I don't know anything about my mother, but I know my father was a performer. That's all I know, though. I was raised in an orphanage. That's all they told me. Wh-Why?"

Phoenix rubbed his nose. "Trucy's father was a magician. You know him... sort of."

"I do?"

The older man nodded. "You didn't know him while he was alive, though. Unfortunately, he suffered an... accident and left this world."

Apollo's face fell, remembering how Trucy had admitted to knowing of her father's death. She had been so brave... "I... I'm sorry to hear that."

Phoenix smiled a little, that soft grin that told Apollo the man knew something the boy did not. But it was less cryptic than usual and much less foreboding. It was... almost subtle. "Her mother was also a magician. She worked with her father for a long time."

"So that's how they got together?"

"Yes. But she was the victim of a trick gone wrong and lost her memory. She didn't even remember Trucy."

Apollo frowned, tightening his grip on Trucy's ankle with a sympathetic touch. He felt for her, the poor girl. "That's terrible." His eyes trailed to the young magician, who once again shifted in her sleep, stretching her legs out over Apollo's lap.

Phoenix watched their every move, the rest of the story flowing from his lips quicker than he had wanted. "You've met her. Remember? When she lost her memory, she also lost her eyesight."

Apollo paused, putting two and two together. "La... Lamiroir?"

Putting a finger to his lips, he made a "shhh" sound as Trucy wiggled. He nodded. "Except her real name isn't Lamiroir. It's Thalassa. And she has a son by another man. Another performer."

Apollo paused, breath caught in his throat. "N-No... You don't mean..."

Phoenix sighed, then nodded again. "Yes. I'm sorry I didn't say it sooner, Apollo, but I thought it would be fine if I didn't. Obviously I was wrong." He sighed again, fingers running through his black hair best they could. "Apollo, I don't know why Thalassa left you, but she did. And then she had Trucy... your half-sister."

If Phoenix had heard a crack, it would have been the sound of Apollo's heart breaking. In fact, his whole world seemed to fall apart. Confusion ravaged his body, and guilt tore at his mind. And it all took over so quickly.

Silence.

Trucy made a small whimpering noise in her sleep.

More silence.

When Apollo finally spoke, his voice was hoarse and quieter than Phoenix had ever heard him speak. He didn't realize the attorney could be so quiet. "She's my half-sister... Does she know?"

"No," Phoenix replied honestly. "Like I said, I wasn't planning to tell either of you."

"I... I see. Please, Mr. Wright... don't tell her." His eyes were on his lap, looking past her legs, his legs, the couch, the floor. "If anyone is going to tell her, I... I want to do it. But not now, and not soon."

"I understand." He stood, stretching. "I'm going to bed now. Feel free to stay. Want me to take Trucy to bed?"

Apollo shook his head. "No. It's okay. She can sleep here."

Phoenix smiled sadly and started toward his bedroom, gripping Apollo's shoulder before leaving. His touch was affectionate, apologetic, the touch a doctor gives a patient who's just been told they have cancer. There was no guilt in his touch, no remorse or regret. His touch was proof to Apollo that he almost found a pleasure in revealing this truth to him. It felt to Apollo as if the truth was the only thing that brought a smile to Phoenix Wright's face.

And a frown to his own.

A half-sister... His half-sister. To think, all this time they'd been siblings. Of course, there had been signs, now that he thought back on it. Phoenix had personally chosen Apollo to defend him for a reason, right? And they could both perceive. And now that he thought about it, they had the same eyes...

But why? Why? This just wasn't fair. Apollo had never been popular with girls. He didn't have the Gavins' charm. He didn't have Phoenix's way with words. He didn't even have that good of looks. But Trucy... Trucy wasn't like the other girls. She enjoyed his company, and he enjoyed hers. She was cute, she was fun, she was smart and perky and witty and always by his side. She stood up for him. And she liked him. Him! How was he supposed to break this news to her? He couldn't. He just couldn't.

Leaning back into the couch cushions, he sighed. He couldn't tell her because he couldn't believe it himself. Yes, she was a bit young, but if it had become anything more than a cute crush, he could have waited for her. He would have, too. He liked her, more than any sort of brother should like his sister or half-sister. But that didn't change the fact that that's what they were, and they would never be more.

That must have been why Phoenix told him. He knew it. Phoenix had seen how they looked at each other, had no doubt heard his daughter ramble on about Apollo. And he'd seen how Apollo's spirits lifted simply when she entered the room. Phoenix knew they had feelings for each other. And he had thrown out the best reason to crush any hopes of a relationship, any hopes for something more. He had easily stomped on Apollo's already unsteady heart and let it crumble into a million tiny pieces below the truth in his heel.

Trucy shifted, causing Apollo to jump in surprise. She stretched, slowly sitting up and moving to cuddle a little against Apollo's side, head resting against the crook of his neck. He couldn't see her face, but he could have sworn she was frowning when she sat up.

"When did I fall asleep?" she murmured sleepily.

He smiled a little. "About the time we left People Park. Remember? You made me carry you from the pond."

She giggled lightly, in that sweet voice Apollo had grown so fond of. "Oh yeah. I didn't think you'd actually do that."

He rested his cheek upon her head, feeling her lovely, silken hair against his skin. It smelled of lavender and vanilla. He sighed softly. God, he was ridiculous. "Yeah, well. I couldn't let you get a blister from your boots or anything."

She flushed lightly, a hand gripping his sleeve. "I... Thanks." She nuzzled a little, comfortable. There was a pause before she whispered, "I heard what Daddy said."

Apollo almost jumped, startled. "You did?" he shouted, not worried if Phoenix had heard him. Trucy just nodded.

"I knew about my real daddy when it happened... but I didn't know about Lamiroir being..." He felt her give a faint shudder, her shoulders shaking. She was crying.

Apollo wrapped his arms around her, hugging her close. He let her weep into his shoulder for several minutes before she pulled back. He reached up and gently wiped the tears from her cheeks. She smiled at his touch, and his heart delighted in the sight. When she was ready to speak again, she spoke softly and sweetly, as though trying to soothe him, "And... I had a feeling we were related. Somehow."

Apollo flushed, gulping some. "I-I guess... But... Do you still... Y'know... l-like me?"

He hadn't expected her to laugh, and he wasn't sure whether he liked it or not. But when she reached up to ruffle his hair, he knew it was a good sign.

"I do," Trucy admitted. "I still like you a lot, no matter what. We may be related in blood, but not in spirit. To me, I'm your perky sidekick, you're my cute partner, and we're an adorable match." And with that, she kissed his cheek.

Apollo's cheeks brightened as soon as her lips made contact, but he had to smile, turning his head just enough to kiss her cheek back. "I like you, too, Truce. And I like your way of thinking. But what will we tell Mr. Wright? He knows about this..."

Trucy smiled, moving to sit in Apollo's lap. "I don't care much what he thinks. You're not a brother to me. You're better." And with the cute smile he'd grown to love, she turned her head to kiss his lips.

_It doesn't matter_, Apollo thought as he gently pressed his lips against hers. _As long as we're together, blood doesn't matter._


End file.
